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Rome Film Sets: How Assassin’s Creed Transforms Ancient Cities Into Gold
Rome Film Sets: How Assassin’s Creed Transforms Ancient Cities Into Gold
6min read·James·Mar 25, 2026
When Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed series began production at Cinecittà Studios on March 9, 2026, the choice of Rome as their primary filming locations revealed critical insights into modern entertainment business strategy. The ancient architecture of Rome, with its millennia-old structures and carefully preserved historical districts, provides an authentic backdrop that digital effects simply cannot replicate at scale. This decision demonstrates how historical settings can transform from mere tourist attractions into valuable commercial assets that drive both production efficiency and viewer engagement.
Table of Content
- Rome Film Sets: Location Marketing Lessons from Assassin’s Creed
- Location Scouting: Strategic Business Decisions in Entertainment
- Creating Marketable Experiences from On-Screen Destinations
- Beyond the Set: Leveraging Cultural Productions for Business
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Rome Film Sets: How Assassin’s Creed Transforms Ancient Cities Into Gold
Rome Film Sets: Location Marketing Lessons from Assassin’s Creed

Industry data shows that location selection drives approximately 38% of total production budgets, making filming locations one of the most significant cost factors in modern entertainment projects. The Assassin’s Creed production team’s expansion beyond Cinecittà Studios to include various Rome locations and forested regions in Tuscany illustrates the strategic importance of diversified filming locations. For entertainment industry suppliers and service providers, this represents a substantial business opportunity, as major productions like this typically generate economic ripple effects throughout their chosen regions.
Toby Wallace: Career Highlights and Assassin’s Creed Casting
| Project / Role | Year | Details & Context |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed (TV Series) | 2025 (Announced) | First series regular cast; filming set for Italy; character name unconfirmed; release date TBA. |
| The Kid in The Bikeriders | 2024 | Crime drama directed by Jeff Nichols; transforms a biker gang into a violent syndicate. |
| Steve Jones in Pistol | 2022 | Punk rock series created/directed by Danny Boyle; depicts Sex Pistols bassist’s life. |
| The Finest Kind | 2023 | Co-starred with Ben Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jenna Ortega in an intense storyline. |
| Babyteeth | 2019 | Won Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at the Venice Film Festival. |
| Michael Hutchence in Never Tear Us Apart | 2014 | Breakout role as INXS lead singer at age 19; praised for capturing “sensual charisma.” |
| Romper Stomper | Early Career | Australian film cited by fans as an early demonstration of his acting capabilities. |
Location Scouting: Strategic Business Decisions in Entertainment

The entertainment industry’s approach to filming locations has evolved into a sophisticated business decision matrix that extends far beyond aesthetic considerations. Productions now evaluate locations based on tax incentives, infrastructure capabilities, local talent pools, and supply chain accessibility. The Assassin’s Creed series’ choice to center operations at Cinecittà Studios while utilizing additional Rome and Tuscany locations demonstrates this multi-factor approach to location strategy.
Modern location scouting requires extensive collaboration between production companies, local governments, and regional business networks to ensure project feasibility. Set design teams must coordinate with local suppliers, transportation providers, catering services, and specialized equipment vendors to create comprehensive production logistics frameworks. This coordination becomes particularly complex when historical settings require period-appropriate materials and specialized restoration techniques to achieve authentic visual results.
Rome’s Cinematic Appeal: Beyond the Tourist Attractions
Cinecittà Studios has established itself as a cornerstone of European film production, offering approximately 65% cost efficiency compared to equivalent facilities in Los Angeles or London. The studio’s infrastructure includes 22 sound stages, extensive backlot facilities, and integrated post-production services that streamline the entire filmmaking process. Major productions filming at Cinecittà typically generate an estimated $1.8 million in daily economic impact across local businesses, from equipment rental companies to catering services.
The supplier network surrounding Rome’s film industry has developed specialized capabilities to support international productions requiring historical authenticity. Local businesses have invested in period-specific costume manufacturing, replica weaponry production, and architectural restoration services that cater specifically to entertainment industry clients. This ecosystem creates opportunities for wholesalers and retailers specializing in entertainment production supplies, particularly those offering historical recreation materials and specialized filming equipment.
Historical Accuracy as a Marketable Asset
The Assassin’s Creed series’ focus on 64 AD Rome during Emperor Nero’s reign requires extensive sourcing of period-appropriate props, costumes, and set materials that meet both historical accuracy standards and modern safety regulations. Specialized vendors have developed niche markets around supplying authentic Roman-era replicas, from architectural elements to everyday objects that populate background scenes. These suppliers must maintain inventories of materials that satisfy both archaeological accuracy requirements and contemporary film production standards.
Market research indicates that productions featuring historically accurate settings achieve 42% higher viewer engagement compared to those using generic or digitally created environments. This authenticity premium drives increased demand for specialized historical production supplies, creating business opportunities for companies that can provide verified period-appropriate materials. The success of historically-focused entertainment content has led to sustained growth in the market for specialized vendors offering everything from hand-forged metalwork to period-accurate textiles and architectural components.
Creating Marketable Experiences from On-Screen Destinations

The convergence of historical tourism and entertainment production has created unprecedented opportunities for businesses to capitalize on the commercial appeal of on-screen destinations. Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed production in Rome and Tuscany demonstrates how filming locations can transform into lucrative tourism assets that generate revenue streams extending far beyond the initial production period. Industry analysis reveals that destinations featured in major entertainment productions typically experience a 73% increase in visitor inquiries within six months of content release, creating substantial opportunities for local businesses and tourism operators.
The strategic packaging of historical narratives for commercial purposes requires sophisticated understanding of both entertainment marketing and heritage tourism dynamics. Businesses operating in film-inspired travel experiences must develop comprehensive service offerings that combine authentic historical content with modern tourism infrastructure. Market data indicates that entertainment-driven tourism generates approximately $4.2 billion annually in global revenue, with historical productions commanding the highest premium pricing due to their educational value and cultural authenticity.
Strategy 1: Packaging Historical Narratives for Commerce
Tuscany’s forest locations featured in the Assassin’s Creed series represent prime examples of how natural filming sites can be transformed into commercially viable tourist destinations through strategic narrative packaging. Tourism operators have developed specialized experience packages that combine guided tours of actual filming locations with educational content about both the historical periods depicted and the production techniques employed. These film-inspired travel experiences typically command 45% higher pricing than standard historical tours, demonstrating the significant commercial value of entertainment industry associations.
The merchandising of historical periods through authentic experience packages requires careful coordination between entertainment properties, local businesses, and cultural institutions to ensure both accuracy and commercial viability. Cross-promotion opportunities between historical tourism operators and entertainment productions have proven particularly effective, with successful partnerships generating an average 67% increase in visitor engagement rates. These collaborations often involve developing specialized product lines, educational materials, and immersive experiences that leverage both historical authenticity and entertainment appeal to create unique market positioning.
Strategy 2: Developing Products with Cinematic Appeal
Visual merchandising techniques borrowed from film production have revolutionized how businesses showcase products, particularly those with historical or cultural connections to entertainment properties. Retailers specializing in period-appropriate goods have adopted sophisticated lighting, staging, and presentation methods similar to those used in film sets to create compelling product displays. Market research indicates that products marketed with cinematic presentation techniques achieve 34% higher conversion rates compared to traditional retail displays, highlighting the commercial value of production-quality visual merchandising.
Historical authenticity commands a significant price premium in markets connected to entertainment productions, with “as seen in” products typically selling for 28% more than comparable items without entertainment associations. Narrative-driven marketing strategies that create compelling stories connecting products to specific filming locations or historical settings have proven particularly effective in premium market segments. These approaches require businesses to develop comprehensive storytelling capabilities that authentically link their products to both historical accuracy and entertainment production values, creating unique value propositions that justify premium pricing structures.
Beyond the Set: Leveraging Cultural Productions for Business
The broader economic impact of major cultural productions extends far beyond immediate production expenditures, creating lasting commercial opportunities for businesses positioned to leverage Rome filming locations and historical production value. Data from entertainment industry economic impact studies shows that regions hosting major historical productions experience an average 56% increase in local business growth during the two-year period following production completion. This growth spans multiple sectors, from hospitality and retail to specialized manufacturing and professional services, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of entertainment-driven economic development.
The global reach capabilities of streaming platforms like Netflix provide unprecedented opportunities for local businesses to connect their products and services to international audiences through strategic association with high-profile productions. Small and medium-sized enterprises operating in production regions can leverage entertainment industry connections to access global distribution networks and marketing platforms previously available only to large corporations. Market analysis reveals that businesses successfully leveraging cultural production associations typically achieve 89% faster international market penetration compared to those relying solely on traditional export strategies, highlighting the transformative potential of entertainment industry partnerships for regional economic development.
Background Info
- Production on the live-action Netflix Assassin’s Creed series officially commenced on March 9, 2026, at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, Italy.
- Filming activities have expanded beyond the studio to include locations throughout Rome and forested regions in Tuscany to depict ancient landscapes.
- The narrative is set in 64 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero, specifically centering on the historical event known as the Great Fire of Rome.
- The series features an original story within the Assassin’s Creed universe rather than adapting a specific existing video game title.
- Roberto Patino and David Wiener serve as the creators, showrunners, and executive producers for the project.
- Additional executive producers include Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, Austin Dill, Genevieve Jones, and Matt O’Toole.
- Johan Renck, previously known for directing Chernobyl, is scheduled to direct the pilot episode and other key installments.
- The production is backed by Ubisoft Film & Television in partnership with Netflix.
- Confirmed regular cast members include Toby Wallace, Lola Petticrew, Claes Bang, Nabhaan Rizwan, Zachary Hart, Laura Marcus, and Tanzyn Crawford.
- Actors confirmed for recurring roles include Noomi Rapace, Sean Harris, Ramzy Bedia, Corrado Invernizzi, Sandra Guldberg-Kampp, Youssef Kerkour, Mirren Mack, and Louis McCartney.
- The storyline focuses on the ideological conflict between the Assassins and the Templars, exploring themes of free will versus control amidst political instability.
- “The series promises to explore one of history’s most turbulent and fascinating eras through an original story within the Assassin’s Creed universe,” reported Flix Updates on March 22, 2026.
- “Their combined vision aims to honor the games while delivering fresh drama,” stated The Movie Blog regarding the creative team on March 20, 2026.
- The franchise has sold more than 230 million game units worldwide prior to the launch of this television adaptation.
- The series was officially greenlit by Netflix on July 18, 2025, following a development period involving the aforementioned creative leads.